TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES IS NOW WITHIN THREE MONTHS... WHETHER IT'S ON THE TRAILS OR ON THE ICE, OUR REGION BREEDS WINTER OLYMPIC TALENT ... JOINING TO LONG LIST OF SOCHI HOPEFULS ARE FOUR NORDIC SKIERS, WHO MADE THEIR NAME ON THE HARD PACKED TRAILS OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS, AND WILL NOW TAKE THEIR TALENTS TO EUROPE... THE UNITED STATES NORDIC SKI TEAM FEATURES 11 NAMES... FOUR OF THOSE ARE VERMONT BORN AND RAISED... ANDY NEWELL AND SOPHIE CALDWELL HAIL FROM THE SOUTH, HAVING BOTH ATTENDED THE STRATTON MOUNTAIN SCHOOL... NORTHERN STANDOUTS LIZ STEPHEN AND IDA SARGENT ARE FORMER CLASSMATES AT BURKE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY ... ON FRIDAY, ALL FOUR OF THEM DEPART FOR NORWAY BEFORE THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP EVENT OF THE SEASON IN FINLAND... FOR SARGENT AND CALDWELL, IT BEGINS A ROAD TO REACHING THEIR FIRST OLYMPIC GAMES.. THE TWO DARTMOUTH GRADS LOOK TO THEIR REPRESENT THEIR ROOTS EN ROUTE TO THEIR OLYMPIC DREAMS.. THE TWO VETERANS OF THE GROUP ARE SHAFTBURY'S ANDY NEWELL AND EAST MONTPELIER'S LIZ STEPHEN... NEWELL IS A TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN, AND FINISHED LAST SEASON RANKED 5TH IN THE WORLD IN SPRINTS... THIS YEAR HE ALREADY HAS SIX TOP-TEN FINISHES ON THE WORLD CUP CIRCUIT... STEPHEN SKIED FOR U-S-A IN VANCOUVER IN 2010, AND ALSO RACED WELL IN THE WORLD CUP CIRCUIT THIS PAST YEAR... THEY BOTH BELIEVE PREVIOUS OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE WILL PAY DIVIDENDS COME FEBRUARY.. WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE FROM THESE LOCAL NORDIC WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE FROM THESE LOCAL NORDIC STARS LEADING UP TO THE GAMES IN SOCHI..